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Leveraging Technology for Positive Social Change #EpCon

View more presentations from Renjie Butalid.

Pleasantly surprised to find my talk from the EpCon conference in Waterloo last week featured on TechVibes today.

From the article by Karim Kanji

When it comes to technology I've always been of the belief that if it can't make life easier or simplier, then who cares. So, when it comes to creating positive social change, I'm all ears. Last Friday, Renjie Butalid, Communications Coordinator for Social Innovation Generation at the University of Waterloo, spoke at EPIC's EpCon 2010 event in Waterloo, Ontario.

Renjie challenged the delegates to question how they could use their education to use technology to transform social dilemmas. Renjie, himself, is passionate about using online communities, technology and social media to create positive social change. Furthermore, he is convinced that young people have the power and opportunity, like never before, to affect positive change in the world.

During his presentation he cited four examples of companies and initiatives that have used technology to create meaningful societal change:

KIVA - A dream of lending to low-income entrepreneurs via the internet is now one of the largest and most successful micro-lending programs in the world with thousands of people now able to live in dignity.

Cell-Life - The vision of Cell-Life is to improve the lives of people affected by AIDS in South Africa through the use of mobile technology.

SIMpill - According to their website, the SIMpill Medication Adherence System monitors the patient's medication schedule and intake of medication and reminds patients and carers as necessary by sending a text message to the patient and/or carers mobile phone if the patient does not take their medication as prescribed.

MoCa - MoCa connects health workers in developing nations to medical professionals around the world via mobile technology.

To date, more than $10 million has been raised via SMS for Haiti earthquake relief. With two-thirds of Africa's 4.5 billion people using some sort of mobile technology in the next 2 years, the opportunity for social change is not just a hope anymore: it's real.

Nick, Mike and I also had a great time capturing video and doing interviews with all the delegates, organizers and speakers at #EpCon last weekend, as part of We Move Media.

We're hoping to have the videos edited and released in the next week or so. Stay tuned for more details!

Congratulations to the EPIC team for doing an amazing job with running the conference!

Posted

The Google Android Phone

Google Nexus One: the latest mobile to take on the iPhone, which is still the market leader. Photograph: Engadget

Hello and welcome to the Googleplex in Mountain View, California - where in the next hour or two we are expecting the internet's most powerful company to unveil its own brand of mobile phone.
Speculation's run rife over the past couple of months about a new handset from Google - just the latest in what seems like a never-ending about the company's plans to become a significant force in mobile.
Why does an internet company want a piece of your mobile phone? Is it just hi-tech hubris? As I told Guardian Daily podcast, Google craves data - and trying to make its Android mobile system ubiquitous is an attempt to place itself at the centre of the world's information. Phones are increasingly the way that most of the planet interacts with computers, and Google wants to be there so that it can sell stuff to us along the way.